One of the best tools that you have as gardeners to help us determine your gardening schedule is the USDA zone info. The most important data that the zone info tells us is average last frost and the lowest expected temperature for your area.

The USDA zone info for Erie should be read to determine when to plant iberis.

Planting Calendar for Iberis

Frost tolerance for iberis:	Tolerant of some frost.
When to plant:	Up to 5 weeks before last frost.

Since iberis are moderately cold tolerant you can plant them a bit earlier in the year than other frost tender plants.

The earliest that you can plant iberis in Erie is February. However, you really should wait until March if you don't want to take any chances.

The last month that you can plant iberis and expect a good harvest is probably September. If you wait any later than that and your iberis may not have a chance to fully mature. Starting your iberis indoors is a great way to get them started a few weeks earlier.

Last Frost Date

On average the last frost is on April 15 in Erie. In the coldest months of winter you should expect an average low temperature of -5°F.

Just be sure to remember that USDA zone info for Erie is not always accurate and the actual date of last frost is different every year. Since half of the time in Erie there is a last frost after April 15 be ready to cover your iberis in the event of a late frost.

USDA Zone Info for Erie

Here is the info for USDA Zone 6b.

Average Date of Last Frost (spring)	April 15
Average Date of First Frost (fall)	October 15
Lowest Expected Low	-5°F
Highest Expected Low	0°F

This means that on a really cold year, the coldest it will get is -5°F. On most years you should be prepared to experience lows near 0°F.

Plants to Grow in Erie

You may be interested in your other planting guides for Erie.